Training Old Dogs that Never Had Early Training

Some years ago, my girlfriend (now my wife), inherited a dog from her brothers who moved out of a house they co-occupied. When we married, Shoobie became my responsibility. At that point, the dog had little or no training in its first 7 years of life. It was house broken but after that all bets were off. Having been a dog owner most of my life, I thought this would be an easy retrofit,now that she was in my capable hands. And while all of my prior experience came from dogs that I had raised from pups, I was not overly concerned with the task that lay ahead. Like everything else in life, its all a case of planning and execution. Yeah right!

I am a firm believer of teaching a dog from day one who is that Alpha. Most dogs are exactly like children, constantly testing you to see how far they can go. Teach a dog early and you will have 80 percent of the problem solved. Some things, such as food or hormones are more difficult and may never be overcome. If you accept that and focus on the 80, both you and your companion will be much happier in the end.

Shoobie was a black lab who had never been exposed to his natural environment. Raised in a townhome, with little exposure to the inbred need for hunting, she did have the instinctive ability to retrieve. Other than that, she was essentially a 100 pound lap dog. I accepted that and moved forward with my program. I am a hunter but it was obvious she would never be. Loud noises terrified her to the degree that a truck backfiring would send her running for cover. Many new owners make the mistake of trying to break this habit. Generally, I have found that a gun shy puppy can be changed but a mature animal is a lost cause. That does not make them a "bad dog" just one that is not suited for its god given gift. Accept it an move on.

Since I had come into my labs life at such an advanced age (7 years old), I knew from the start that reprogramming her would have to take a different form then with a pup. An older dog often has an air of independence. Learning what she can and cannot do and preceding through life with that knowledge. As a trainer, I would recommend that you let the dog know who they are dependent on for most luxuries and necessities on every chance that you get. They need to know that you are the one that feeds them, walks them and treats their other needs. Once you establish that, life with your older dog becomes much more manageable. Obviously, a lot depends on the breed, its prior treatment and issues that it may have acquired earlier in life. Keep in mind that there are some things it may never learn.

Shoobie is gone now but not forgotten. In her last seven years, we developed a mutual understanding of each other. I didn't ask for much but when I did, she listened and until her final days obeyed. In fact, the day she passed, she came at my beck, laid her head down on my foot and passed away peacefully. Her place has since been taken by the obstinate Chesapeake Bay Retriever that you see featured in my profile. But that is another story for another time.